In these passages Peter reaffirms repeatedly that not only where these Gentiles saved not because they were baptized in water, but because they believed his message of the Gospel, but also makes it plain that he and the rest of the disciples were saved in the same way. How? How were they saved? ". . . after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. . . . cleansing their hearts by faith." When did Peter baptize them in Water? Note what Peter said in Acts 10:47-48,

"‘Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?’ And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ."

It was only when Peter saw the evidence of the saving faith they had that he would then baptize them in water, but not as the means of their salvation, but because of the salvation they already had. How did they receive the Holy Spirit? After they were baptized in water? No, when they believed God gave them the Holy Spirit automatically as a result, just as it was for Peter and the Apostles; but not as the means of their salvation, but because of the saving faith they already had. This is in total agreement with what Paul teaches in His Epistles. Paul wrote to the Ephesians,

"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Here Paul explains to us the process of salvation:

1. First, the Person must hear the Gospel.

2. Second, the person must believe on the Gospel to be saved.

3. Third, when a person believes on the Gospel with saving faith, as a result of the salvation they already have, God automatically gives them and seals them in the Holy Spirit.

Salvation does not come through water baptism or through receiving the Holy Spirit or through speaking in tongues. Salvation is received through faith and through faith alone. When do we receive water baptism, before or after salvation? After we have believed. How does one receive the Holy Spirit? Automatically as a result of believing on the Gospel. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 2:19, "Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, ‘The Lord knows those who are His.’" Only God knows those who have saving faith in His work of salvation for them through Jesus Christ. When God sees that we have saving faith in our hearts, Paul tells us that He then gives and seals us in His Holy Spirit automatically as a result, but not as the means of our salvation but as a result of the saving faith we already have. Paul tells us in Romans 10:9-10,

"That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."

Paul tells us here that salvation takes place when a person believes in his heart. This again is in complete harmony with what took place in Acts Chapter 10: Peter shared the Gospel and before they had given verbal confession, they believed the Gospel in their hearts with saving faith. God knowing this gave them immediately His Holy Spirit as a result. Why then is it necessary for us to confess Jesus as Lord? Because even though God knows when a person has saving faith in the Gospel in their hearts, the only way we know if a person has believed is by what they confesses with their mouth. Salvation takes place in the heart before God, but the evidence of the salvation we already have before men is through our works: confessing with our mouth Jesus as Lord and obeying Jesus through water baptism, etcetera. These are our works, but not as the means of our salvation, but evidence and proof of the salvation we already have.

When did Peter, Philip and Paul baptize their converts in water? Before or after they were saved? After they were saved:

Peter: "‘Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?’ And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." (Acts 10:47-48)

Philip: Acts 8:36 "And as they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said ‘Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?’ And Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch; and he baptized him.’ (Acts 8:36)

Paul: ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household." (Acts 16:30-33)

In everyone of these cases saving faith came first and only when they gave evidence of saving faith would they then baptize them in water, but not as the means of their salvation, but as a result of the saving faith they already had. In these last two cases there was no physical manifestation of the fact that they had the Holy Spirit, no speaking in tongues, only confession of saving faith they already had. Only God knows those who are His, only God knows those who truly have His Holy Spirit. We can only go by what a man says and his works that follow, but salvation takes place through saving faith in the Gospel in the heart. Only God knows those who are His. God allowed the Gentiles to manifest speaking in tongues in Acts 10:46 to let Peter and the Apostles know beyond doubt that Jesus’ salvation was for the Gentiles as well as the Jews. But whether they spoke in tongues or not, they were not saved when they spoke in tongues or when they received the Holy Spirit, but when they believed in their hearts the message of the Gospel.

The reader at this point needs to understand that there is a difference between receiving the Holy Spirit at the moment when we have saving faith in the Gospel and being baptized in the Holy Spirit for ministry outreach and release which is accompanied with speaking in tongues. This was clearly demonstrated in Acts 8:12-17 and Acts 19:1-7. In verse 12 of Chapter 8 it says the following:

"But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike."

Again here, we see that only after they believed would Philip then baptize them in water. Verses 14-17 then go on to tell us the following:

"Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit." (See also the case of the Ephesians in Acts 19:1-7)

We have already established clearly that Peter and Paul teach us that we receive the Holy Spirit automatically when we believe whether we feel it or not or whether we speak in tongues or not, but receiving the Holy Spirit and being Baptized in the Holy Spirit are not the same thing. One is a dwelling within and the other is an anointing upon for service. I received Jesus Christ in November of 1969. I saw the work of the Holy Spirit in my life immediately, but it was not until 1972 that I received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues through two friends of mine laying there hands on me and praying for me to receive it.

The Lord had been dealing with me about my need to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit because of my work of Evangelism. When I became convinced Scripturally of its separate validity in my walk and service to the Lord, I allowed my friends who already had it to pray for me to receive it. This happened just before I went on a missionary trip. When they prayed for me I instantly began to speak in tongues. The increase of fruit that followed in my ministry work, people coming to Christ and being healed physically through prayer, proved to me its validity and how much I really did need it in my work of Evangelism to be as fully fruitful as God wanted me to be.  My only reason for making mention of it at this point is to let you the reader, who are baptized in the Holy Spirit, know that I believe in and teach this experience, but that receiving the Holy Spirit when we believe and being baptized in the Holy Spirit are usually two different events in a believers life. Whether a Christian speaks in tongues or not when he believes, he is not saved when he speaks in tongues, but only when he believes on the Gospel. God then automatically gives that person His Holy Spirit as a result whether the person is aware of it or not or whether he speaks in tongues or not. I am also mentioning it here at this point to explain that while, like in the case of the Gentiles in Acts 10, both receiving and being baptized in the Holy Spirit can come about simultaneously at the moment of salvation, for most of us, like in the case of the Samaritan believers in Acts 8 and the Ephesians in Acts 19, it has been two separate events. The Samaritans believed. As a result of their saving faith God gave them His Holy Spirit. When Philip saw their saving faith, probably through mouth confession, he baptized them in water. Later, then, the Apostles visited the Samaritan believers and prayed for them to receive the Baptizm of the Holy Spirit.

Both Paul and Peter clearly testify to us that Jesus’ salvation for our sins through His death and shed blood on the Cross is not received through repenting of our sins or through water baptism or through receiving the Holy Spirit or through speaking in tongues; Jesus’ salvation for our sins is received through faith and through faith alone! What then is Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38? In the context of everything that Peter and Paul tell us about the process of salvation, they are general all inclusive statements about our salvation in Jesus. How do we know if a person has truly believed? By whether he obeys Jesus. John wrote in 1 John 2:3-4,

"By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 John 2:3-4)

How do I know if a person is truly saved? It will be evidenced by His obedience to Jesus’ commands of which one is water baptism; but not as the means to his salvation, but in evidence of the salvation he already has. This is what James is talking about in James 2:14-22 when he states that faith without works is dead. He states, "You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18).

What Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38 are not is flat statements about what saves us that the rest of the New Testament must then be forced into submission to. When this is done, one must then say the New Testament contradicts itself, that Peter contradicts Himself in His own teachings throughout the rest of the book of Acts on Salvation, that Jesus’ contradicts Himself in His statements about salvation in the rest of the teachings of the Gospels and that Paul contradicts what these passages teach on salvation.